Can we get through this?
by august29
Summary: He sat there motionless, speechless having no real clue what to say but knowing he had to say something. "What?" He wanted to make sure he heard right before he lost his temper and said something he knew he would regret. "Finn and I…we…I cheated on you"
1. Chapter 1

He sat there motionless, speechless having no real clue what to say but knowing he had to say something.

"What?"

He wanted to make sure he heard right before he lost his temper and said something he knew he would regret.

"Finn and I…we…I cheated on you"

She looked at him with the most fear of losing him she's ever known. In the two years they have been together she never thought she would be the ones saying those words. She never thought she would be the one who was breaking a heart, and it hurt her more than she ever thought possible.

She knew she made a mistake, she knew that she should have never been in the situation in the first place. She was more responsible than that, yet somehow she ended up in Finns' bed that night and not Noah's. Now here she was a week later telling him something she never thought she would ever have to say. Something she spent a week thinking about whether to reveal or not, but ultimately her guilt and remorse won and she knew she had to do the right thing even if it meant losing him.

"Noah, say something...please…"

She asked him in the smallest voice he's ever heard her use. He knew she was scared of losing him. He knew she didn't love Finn like she loved him, but that didn't stop what he was feeling inside. He was hurt beyond comprehension, he was more angry than he was when he realized his father had left his family, but mostly he was disappointed.

Disappointed that the girl he loved with all his heart, the girl that changed him in so many ways was breaking his heart. There were no words that he could say that would let that message come across to her. So instead of saying anything, he looked her in the eyes, blinking slowly trying to hide the hurt, the anger and most of all that disappointment and tried to calm down so she wouldn't see the tears that were now formed beneath his eyelids.

When he opened them again he didn't see Rachel Berry, he saw his best friend holding her in a way that was only meant for him. His best friend kissing her, touching her in ways that only he was allowed. He knew she saw everything he was trying to hide. She knew him to well. They have been together for two years, she's seen his change from resident bad boy to the best man he thought he would never be so of course she knew what was going on in his head.

She saw everything he was feeling but she was still waiting for him to speak. She wanted, no needed, to hear him yell, see him revert back to the old Noah that she used to be scared of before he showed her his vulnerable side and showed her that all he needed was someone to believe in him. She was expecting the worst so when she heard him say the simplest thing she nearly died.

"Hope he was worth it"

He wanted to say so much more. He knew her just about as well as she knew him. He knew what she was expecting. He didn't want to be that guy again. She taught him so much; she loved him when he didn't think he deserved it. He thought that she meant everything she said, thought that she meant it every time she said that nothing would ever happen between her and his friend. How she loved him and only him and would never do anything to lose now all he can hear are lies. He gave her one last look that told her everything she didn't want to hear. He told her that he had broke his heart and there wasn't anything she could do to mend it. He looked at her and let a tear roll down his cheek, wiped the ones that were falling from her face picked up his backpack and turned around and without looking back walked out of the glee room.

He heard her let out a sob of pain and it killed him but he was to hurt to turn around and comfort her when his heart was breaking with every step.

A/N: So I know this is short and I plan on making this a few chapters long although I don't really know where its gonna go. I guess ill find out with you guys. R&R is appreciated, so let me know what ya think


	2. What happend

The walk to his truck was harder than ever. He half expected her to come running up and beg for another chance, beg for forgiveness, beg for his heart back, but he knew in the back of his mind that she was on the floor of the glee room crying her heart out. And there was nothing he wanted to do about that. So he sat staring out his windshield with a thousand thoughts running through his head about what he's just been told vaguely aware of the song playing on his radio.

"_And the hardest part of living  
Is just taking breaths to stay  
Because I know I'm good for something  
I just haven't found it yet  
But I need it  
So let's not pretend like you're alone tonight  
(I know he's there)  
You're probably hanging out and making eyes  
(while across the room, he stares)  
I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor  
And ask my girl to dance, and she'll say yes__"_

He heard the last line and violently hit his radio to stop the song that seemed to be taunting him. That's all it took, lines from a sad song that happened to be playing in his truck. He broke down and the tears started streaming down his face. He hit his steering wheel a few times as he cursed the girl he loves and the friend he thought he could trust. After a few more hits he drops his arms and just cried. 10 minutes of wearing his heart on his sleeve he looks up and sees her. Standing in the parking lot staring at his truck from a few feet away.

He knew she saw his escape of emotions, but as they sat there staring at each other from a distance he saw her pain and he just couldn't take it. He knew she saw the tears running down his face and it made him feel a little better knowing he's causing her more pain. He never thought he would hear that thought cross his mind, but he felt that she deserved to feel some kind of pain that wasn't guilt. He wanted her to see how much she hurt him. He was the first one to break the stare not being able to hold her eyes anymore. He shifted his truck and floored it.

He needed to get out of there. He needed to be away from the place that brought them together and tore them apart. The place that hold so many memories that he doesn't want to remember right now.

XXXX

As she sat there broken and crying, she knew she just lost him. She couldn't hold back the broken sobs that escaped her, or the tears that steadily streamed down her face. She hurt him and she never wanted to. She never meant to. She knew her mistakes and still couldn't believe what happened.

_Waking up to the sun shining on her face in a room that she didn't remember. She felt a pair of arms around her that didn't feel like the boy who she has grown used to waking up to. Looking around the room trying to find something that would give her a hint as to whose arms were around her then she saw it. A picture of her boyfriend and his best friend in there football uniforms smiling after a win. _

_She knew where she was at and it hit her like a ton of bricks. She slowly turned to see his sleeping face. The boy she used to be in love with before she knew what real love was, before she fell in love with Noah. She sat up abruptly waking up Finn in the process. He had a smile on his face as he reached over and pushed some hair out of her face. She just looked at him with memories of what happened the night before coming to her._

_They had been together in the most intimate of ways. She turned her head and started crying, a silent cry that he didn't pick up because he didn't really care for her. She wiped her eyes as she got dressed feeling the guilt already start building. Her phone beeped from somewhere across the room and she went to pick it up._

"_Hey babe, I'm heading to work I'll call you on my break, hope you had fun at the party last night. I love you"_

_A text from her boyfriend who didn't know what happened. A text from the boy who held her heart and trusted her to go to a party with their friends and not have to worry. She broke that trust and now she didn't know what she was going to do. She knew from the moment she felt his arms around her that morning she had made the biggest mistake of her life._

"_This was a mistake"_

_She said with her back to him not needing to know if he was listening or not._

"_What was, us? This?"_

_Finn asked as he got out of bed and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace that felt wrong to her. She pushed him off and turned to look at him._

"_Yes Finn, this. This was never supposed to happen. There is no us. I don't love you. I haven't for a while. I don't know what I was thinking last night, but you should have known better. Noah's your best friend. Does that mean nothing to you?"_

"_Puck's your boyfriend, did that mean anything to you?"_

_He asked with a bit of an attitude that she picked up on as soon as he started to speak._

"_I wasn't the one who started this Rachel. You came up to me, you kissed me. I just went with it."_

_He was in her space now, only a few inches away from her and all she felt was disgust._

"_Finn, I'll admit I may have been in the wrong to approach you last night and I have no real reason as to why I did. I was not under any influences, and was not in a vulnerable emotional state so I knew what I was doing, but that does not give you the excuse to proceed to betray your best friend. I know I said no on 2 occasions and you did not respect that…"_

"_You may have said no, but you didn't want to so I was just doing what you wanted."_

_She looked at him with so much hate that he couldn't help but slink back to his bed and sit down. _

"_I may have wanted to, but my heart lies with Noah and I said no. You should have respected that fact and not tricked me into sleeping with you."_

_Finn stood up again and just looked at Rachel. Disbelief apparent in his eyes. She was blaming him. She was trying to make herself feel better about her mistake by putting all the blame on him which was where it laid but he would never admit that. He knew what he was doing; he knew exactly what to say to get her in his bed. He used all the right lines, touched the right spots and when she said no he didn't listen. He didn't force himself on her, he was a better man than that, he did however use her vulnerabilities to his advantage. _

_He made her doubt what she had with his best friend because he wanted her. He wanted to be the one who made her smile. Who made her laugh that laugh that meant she was truly happy. He missed his chance those years ago because he was afraid of losing his reputation. What he didn't expect was her to fall for his best friend, and his best friend actually risk everything for her. He was jealous to say the least so he wanted to break up the happy couple. He saw his chance and went for it. _

"_Look Rach, this means something. You came to me. You wanted this."_

"_Do not call me that. You are no longer someone who deserves to use a nickname with me. You exploited my vulnerabilities. The things I told you in confidence for whatever reasons you had. You knew exactly what you were doing and what you were saying. I have no respect for you and after today I no longer want you in my life. I just made the biggest mistake of my life and I hope Noah will forgive me, if he doesn't then I hope I never have to see your face again."_

_With that she grabbed her jacket and purse and walked out of his room without a second thought._

As she stood up she couldn't help but think about him. The boy that ruined her life and that she once trusted him with her secrets. The only one other than Noah who really knew her. She couldn't believe she put herself in that position, she couldn't believe…no matter how many times she said it she just couldn't believe she would ever hurt the man she loved. As she walked to her car she saw him in his truck. She stopped as she saw him violently hitting his steering wheel and start crying. She couldn't take her eyes off him. The pain he was showing when he thought no one was looking was killing her more than the guilt that she was already feeling. She doesn't know how long she was standing there watching him break, but he met her eyes and she saw all the pain he was feeling. She didn't know what to do she was going to go talk to him but he broke their stare and sped off. She looked down and continued to her car with more tears falling along the way.

A/N: Thank you guys for all the alerts/fav story/ and reviews! They made my day . This chapter kinda just came to me as I was writing it about 1500 words, a personal most for me. Hope you guys like it. As always reviews are appreciated. Till next time.


	3. Three Cheers

The day started out like any other for her. She woke up in the same hazy she has been in for the past few weeks. She has stopped counting. Noah has still yet to talk to her. She has stopped trying to get him to look at her. She has stopped trying to get him to talk to her. He seems to want nothing to do with her and its slowly killing her inside.

Rachel Berry was never one to just give up on something she wanted, but she knew Noah and she knew how he worked.

She walked into the room that now reminded her of the most hurt in her life. She walked straight to a sat down in the first chair she saw available. The rest of the club slowly started filtering not paying much mind to her anymore. The first week had been the worst. Every friend she had asked her why she was not her normal self and quickly put the pieces together when they saw the way Puck looked at her and Finn, and the way he wanted nothing to do with either of them.

She never really told anyone what happened, but they weren't stupid. They saw Finn and her sneak off the night of the party yet no one did anything. They all felt somewhat responsible for what happened that night yet no one let it show. They held their tongues in hopes that what they thought was happening wasn't happening.

They now just looked at her with sad eyes. Everyone knew how much the couple was meant to be together and hoped that they would work through this, but they also knew how stubborn Puck could be especially if it came to something that compromised his morals.

No one noticed when Puck walked in quietly and went to go talk to Mr. Shu, they were too caught up in their own conversations about their own drama filled lives. Everyone's attention was drawn to the middle of the room when their teacher spoke.

"Okay guys today we have a quick performance than one of our own before we get into today's practice. Puck here has asked to sing a quick song."

He turned and smiled to Puck who was seated on a stool behind the teacher. Rachel's eyes immediately went to his and to her surprise he was staring back just as intensely. She didn't want to look away fearing it would be the last time he would look at her. He gives her a small smile which gives her hope that somehow this is all going to work out. She sits up a little straighter, holds her head up a little higher and waits for him to sing what she knows is going to be a song for her. Its how they have always told each other something important.

_I swear that you don't have to go_

As the piano starts she smiles a little bit bigger at the opening line. She doesn't recognize the song but so far its sounding like it's going to take positive turn for their relationship. She sees him tear his eyes off of hers and hold back tears.

_I thought we could wait for the fireworks  
I thought we could wait for the snow  
To wash over Georgia and kill the hurt  
I thought I could live in your arms_

His eyes met hers once again telling her he needed her to listen. He needed her to know that he still hurt. No matter how he tried to hide it.

_And spend every moment I had with you  
Stay up all night with the stars  
Confess all the faith that I had in you( I had in you)_

Out of nowhere like this was rehearsed, Matt repeated the last few words of the last line__

Too late, I'm sure and lonely  
Another night, another dream wasted on you  
Just be here now against me

_You know the words so sing along for me baby_

Rachel's eyes now show the realization of the song he's singing. It hits her like a ton of bricks. The tears come to her eyes but do not fall. She's following him with her eyes as he stands up and starts walking her way.

_For heaven's sake I know you're sorry  
But you won't stop crying  
This anniversary may never be the same  
Inside I hope you know I'm dying  
With my heart beside me  
In shattered pieces that may never be replaced  
And if I died right now you'd never be the same_

He's kneeling in front of her now, bearing his soul. A single tear down his face as the entire glee club watches. All too stunned to even know what to think. __

I thought with a month of apart  
Together would find us an opening  
And moonlight would provide the spark  
And that I would stumble across the key  
Or break down the door to your heart  
Forever could see us not you and me  
And you'd help me out of the dark  
And I'd give my heart as an offering (as an offering)  
Too late, I'm sure and lonely  
Another night, another dream wasted on you  
Just be here now against me

_You know the words so sing along for me, baby_

He then grabbed her hands and pulled them both up to where he was standing in front of her with their hands between them. His face telling her the story of the past few weeks of pain he was going through.

_For heaven's sake I know you're sorry  
But you won't stop crying  
This anniversary may never be the same  
Inside I hope you know I'm dying  
With my heart beside me  
In shattered pieces that may never be replaced  
And if I died right now you'd never be the same  
_

He brings up his right hand to wipe away a tear from her eye as Matt continues to sing along with him.

_And I will always remember you as you are right now to me  
And I will always remember now_

He lets his hand drop and backs away to his original seat.__

Sleep alone tonight with no one here just by your side  
Sleep alone tonight

How does he feel, how does he kiss  
(Sleep alone tonight with no one here just by your side) How does he taste while he's on your lips  
How does he feel, (Sleep alone tonight, whoo) how does he kiss

I can't forget you (Sleep alone tonight)  
I know you want me to want you(with no one here just by your side)  
I want to  
But I can't forgive you(Sleep alone tonight)  
So when this is over don't blow your composure baby  
I can't forgive you (Sleep alone tonight)  
I know you want me to want you I want to (with no one here just by your side)  
But I can't forgive you(Sleep alone tonight)  
So when this is over don't blow your composure baby

The piano stops playing and you can hear all the hurt and pain in Noah's voice as he sings the last lines of the song. Never breaking eye contact with Rachel.

_I can't forgive you  
I know you want me to want you I want to_

The room was silent as he finished the song. All the girls and Kurt were wiping their faces, while the boys tried their best to hide the mist in their eyes. The song had an effect on everyone minus Finn who was sitting in the back with an angry scowl on his face.

Not knowing how to follow up with that Mr. Shu looked around at all the faces in the room. They all looked like they either were crying or about to burst out in tears any second. He then spotted Rachel. Still standing in the spot where she and Puck were together. Tears rolling down her face but not making a sound. She and Puck were just staring at each other with tears in both their eyes.

"Umm… I think I'm just going to call that a day. Y'all are free to go."

No one moved from their seats all waiting to see what happens between the torn couple. Rachel was the first out of everyone to move. She put her head down, everyone could hear the sniffles but no one dared say anything. She visibly took a deep breath and let it out, raised her head and simply...walked out the room. Noah followed her path with his head and stood there a few moments longer.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

Everyone jumped at Finns angry voice from the back of the room. Noah didn't move. Still looking at the door the woman he loved just walked out of. He heard Finn make his way down next to him and felt him by his side before he heard him speak. He turned to look at him and was surprised to see him so close.

"She was getting over you and you had to sing that stupid song and ma-"

Finn never finished his sentence because Puck punched him square in the face with more force behind it then any he's ever thrown in his life. Finn fell to the floor with a bloody nose and a cry of pain. All the other glee members looked on in shock. Mike and Matt ran down in case a fight broke out and they needed someone to break it up or hold Finn down, depending on the situation. Noah looked down in disgust picked Finn up and looked him in the eyes.

"If you EVER come near my girlfriend again, I will hurt you. Don't ever think you are going to have her. She chose me. She will always choose me. I love her, and nothing will ever change that. Not even a stupid mistake she made with you."

He punched him again, another cry came out of Finns mouth, and this time Mike pushed Puck away gently to keep anything from happening. Noah looked around the room and saw the mixed emotions on everyone's faces. Some were smiling at the declaration of love; others were smiling because Finn got what he deserved. A few wore somber looks because the seriousness of the situation having not left the atmosphere. He didn't care, he knew what he had to do now and he was going to do it.

With one last look at the guy who nearly cost him everything he turned to the door and ran after the woman he loved hoping she hadn't made it to her car and drove off yet.

A/N: So I'm not too sure how I feel about this one. I've been looking for a song to go with what Puck feels for a while and I heard this one on my iPod. I then looked up an acoustic version which I totally fell in love with. It's called Three Cheers For Five Years by Mayday Parade. If you wanna hear the version I used just use this link .com/watch?v=2lDVR_2mb6Q

Anyway, please let me know what you think. Reviews are always appreciated.


	4. We Will

"I don't know what you expect me to say and I don't know where to begin. All I know is that when I look at you, I hurt. My chest feels like its caving in and nothing or no one can help me. I've cried everyday for the past month and a half over you. Over your mistake, over the fact that you let everything we've built, everything you've helped create, go for what? Huh Rach? Please tell me why you went to him. HIM of all people? "

Rachel's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. She was not expecting him to go after her. She was not expecting him to even want to look at her after the song he sang. That was for all intensive purposes his good-bye song to her. At least that's what she thought. She just wanted to sit alone in the semi darkness and wait for everyone to leave so she could go home and lose herself in her bed and avoid any kind of confrontation with anybody. Yet here he was asking her why she had done what she had done. A question she had asked herself many times yet still could not come up with the correct answer. She wasn't feeling lonely, she wasn't drunk or in any form of emotional distress. She did not believe that she wanted a change from the way her and Noah connected intimately. She still has not figured out why she broke the best thing in her life.

"I honestly do not know Noah. There is nothing I can say or do to express to you the regret I feel about that night. How horrible it is to me that I was the one to cause you all the pain you've been trying to hide."

He slowly walked to the edge of the stage as he gathered the rest of his thoughts and tried to find the right way to express everything he's felt and everything he has wanted to say for over a month. He wanted to yell. He wanted to revert back to Puck, the guy who didn't care or the guy that was just in it for the lay. He knew better than that. He knew that even though he may want to revert back he wouldn't because of the person he's proud to be. The person that was here today because of the broken girl in front of him. He wanted so badly to make everything better. To just forget everything she told him, but he couldn't. The visions of his ex-best friend and his girlfriend still haunting him every night.

"Was I not good enough for you? Did you get tired of having to change me?"

He had never felt so vulnerable in his life. He did not like the feeling of being so completely open that he was questioning if he himself was good enough for the girl he never thought he would get. As he stared into her watery eyes, the pain reflecting the expression that was currently on his own face. He saw her trying to grasp what he just asked.

"Noah how could you ever think that? I love you; you are more than enough for me. Sometimes I think I am not enough for you. Like one day you will realize that you can do better. You can be with someone who inst a loser."

She scooted closer to the edge of the stage to be closer to him even though he was still a good distance away. She wanted to let him know that she needed him more than he needed her. She was his rock. He was the only reason she has made it past these last few years of their high school lives.

"You slept with my best friend Rachel! All I can see when I look at you is his hands all over you, his lips on yours, or you in his arms the way you laid in mine the first time we were together after I told you I loved you! I can't get those images out of my head! It hurts to know that you don't even have a reason why you did it. Like you could just do it again with anyone who says the right thing at the right time! I don't trust you anymore Rach. I don't know if I will any time soon either."

Her eyes were spilling over with old tears as new ones made their way onto her face at his admission. She didn't know which one hurt more, that he was plagued with thoughts of her being intimate with someone else or that she had lost his trust possibly forever.

"Noah, I hate that I made you doubt for a second that you were anything but enough for me. I hate how the reckless actions that I partook in make you hurt so badly. I hate how no matter what I try and say it is never going to be okay. I would love nothing more than to beg for your forgiveness and ask for a second chance but I feel as if you wouldn't give me one, like I do not deserve one. "

She hopped of the stage and walked to meet him as he took in what she said.

"Noah, I love you. That never changed, it was never doubted, and it will never be challenged. I know I made a mistake and I will try my hardest to fix it. I will do whatever you want. I will step out of your life until you figure out what it is that you need, or I will stubbornly stand by your side and be with you every step of the way. I know you and I will respect whatever decision you make."

She took a chance and lightly touched the hand that was by his side. He stared down at the floor as he took in what she said and processed it. He could not decide whether to turn and leave or stay and work through a mistake. He knew going into a relationship with Rachel Berry was going to be hard from the begging, but he never thought he would be faced with something like this. The worst he thought he would have to face would be marathon musical nights, endless hours of listening to her talk about broad way and even facing her fathers. Nothing in his right mind ever imagined he would have to choose between walking away or fixing their relationship because she was unfaithful. He slowly turned his hand over and loosely held her hand.

"Rach, I love you. You do not know how much I want to walk away right now. How much I wish I could just forget the last 2 years never happened and go back to being the guy I was before you turned me into someone I was proud to be. Before I knew that love wasn't just physical but the feeling that came with having you by my side. You said it yourself; you don't deserve a second chance. And I don't know if I can fully trust that you won't do it again. It's always going to be in the back of my mind, and I will be questioning everything about us. I know I haven't been the best boyfriend lately, I was trying to work through my issues before I came and talked to you or else you would be crying for a completely different reason."

He looked into her eyes as a small smirk appeared on his face. Her eyes meet his and she still saw the pain mixed in with sadness, but also a playful and loving look that only she knew. She smiled back at him, a small coy smile that let him know he knew they weren't better but they were going to work on it. That they had another chance at a love that comes along once in a lifetime.

"Babe, I'm not saying it's going to be easy. I know I'm going to be a dick sometimes and I will get insanely jealous for no reason and I will more than likely accuse you of things you didn't do simply because I don't trust you right now, but if you're willing to work with me through my BS and stand by my side, I won't let this love go. I'm not a dumb jock anymore. I'm someone who fights for the things he wants and I will always want you Rachel Berry."

He lifted his other hand and wiped a tear off her cheek as she smiled and let out a small laugh mixed with a sob. She squeezed his hand and pulled him into her for an embrace that was long missed by both parties. He put his arms around his shorter girlfriend and held her tight as he remembered how amazing it felt to have her in his arms again. He pulled back to look her in the eyes again to let her know that he loved her. That they were going to be okay.

"We will make it Rach. Just you watch, we will have the whole world in our hands one day."

He places a gentle kiss on her lips and as he felt her smile into the embrace, he knew without a doubt that even though they may be going through hard times now and there is surly more rough patches to get through, that in the end it would all be worth it. She would all be worth it. And he smiled back.


End file.
